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My AP Top 25 ballot vs. actual rankings
Posted Aug 22, 2010 by Scott Carter
Updated Aug 22, 2010 at 10:08 AM
The first AP Top 25 poll of the season was released on Saturday. I revealed my ballot here on the blog a couple of weeks ago, but let’s see how I voted compared to the actual poll:
Here is my preseason Top 25 ballot, submitted to the AP on July 31:
1. Alabama
2. Boise State
3. Ohio State
4. Oklahoma
5. Florida
6. Nebraska
7. Iowa
8. TCU
9. Texas
10. Wisconsin
11. Miami
12. USC
13. Virginia Tech
14. Florida State
15. Pittsburgh
16. Arkansas
17. Auburn
18. Oregon
19. LSU
20. Penn State
21. Connecticut
22. North Carolina
23. Oregon State
24. Utah
25. Georgia Tech
Here is the first AP Top 25 poll of the season, released on Saturday:
1. Alabama
2. Ohio State
3. Boise State
4. Florida
5. Texas
6. TCU
7. Oklahoma
8. Nebraska
9. Iowa
10. Virginia Tech
11. Oregon
12. Wisconsin
13. Miami
14. USC
15. Pittsburgh
16. Georgia Tech
17. Arkansas
18. North Carolina
19. Penn State
20. Florida State
21. LSU
22. Auburn
23. Georgia
24. Oregon State
25. West Virginia
A quick review:
—Based on my ballot, Georgia Tech fans have the biggest reason not to like me. I placed the Yellow Jackets nine spots below where they stand in the actual poll.
—Oregon (seven spots lower), Texas (four spots lower) and North Carolina (four spots lower) fans likely won’t be sending any gift either.
—On the flip side, I have FSU (six spots higher), Auburn (plus five spots) and Oklahoma (plus three spots) regarded higher than the majority of my 59 fellow colleagues on the voting board.
—Why FSU so high? With all five starting offensive linemen returning and Heisman candidate Christian Ponder back in the huddle, the Noles’ offense should be productive. And can the defense be any worse than last season? However, we still don’t know what kind of head coach Jimbo Fisher is, since he takes a 0-0 career record in the home opener against Samford.
—Surprisingly, I have only Alabama (No. 1) and Pittsburgh (No. 15) ranked exactly where they are in the poll. I expected at least a couple of more to line up perfectly.
—Here are the first five teams left off my ballot: 26. Georgia; 27. West Virginia; 28. Notre Dame; 29. Cincinnati; 30. Houston.
—Here are the first five teams left off actual poll: 26. Cincinnati; 27. Stanford; 28. Utah; 29. South Carolina; 30. Houston.
—Based on the voting, I was very kind to Connecticut, which I ranked 21st on my preseason ballot. The Huskies are 31st according to the AP poll.
—For AP poll junkies out there, the AP has a new website this season for fans and media members to keep track of the weekly poll. Click here to check out aptop25.com.
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Reader Comments
Por (Tim442) on August 22, 2010 (Suggest removal)
I try not to be biased toward fellow BE members, but could you please give your reason for leaving out West Virginia a team that has Noel Devine in the back field and a ferocious defense, not to say many other returning key players to boot from the top 25? In my personal opinion for what it is worth I would put them up there with Pitt.
Suggest removalPor (Hector Jimenez) on August 22, 2010 (Suggest removal)
Being that it is the pre-season ballot…I can’t complain. You have the right teams except I would maybe make room for either WVU or UConn but time will tell for everyone one on the poll.
But like I have said to you before….BSU won’t last long at the top and neither will their NC hopes. To be honest that is perfect…only playing one team that is worth anything does not make an argument in favor of them being NC.
Quick question, how many BE writers in the AP poll? That site is awesome…please keep it linked to your ballot post.
Thanks.
Suggest removalPor (Scott Carter) on August 22, 2010 (Suggest removal)
Hector: I had UConn 21st in my poll, but not a lot of agreement for fellow voters, hence the Huskies’ absence from the Top 25.
As for voters located in Big East markets, based on my list I see at least six to eight of us—these are not all beat writers, though. Some work at radio stations, TV stations in Big East markets.
Tim442: West Virginia was a tough one for me. The Mountaineers could easily make me look stupid by the end of the season with Divine and Co., but what stuck in my mind was their loss to USF last year—Divine had 42 yards I think—and the way they got shut down in the Gator Bowl loss to FSU. The Seminoles defense was one of the worst in the nation last year.
Suggest removalPor (Tim442) on August 23, 2010 (Suggest removal)
Thanks Scott,
Suggest removalGuess I will have to agree with assessment, based on last years performance alone. But based on last years records say the Gators for instance, should still be ranked in the top ten (?) even though they lost many key players? Yet from my understanding the reasoning that I am hearing and reading, it is because of all the outstanding replacements that have been waiting there turn, needless to say some have never started a game. Not trying to be a nemesis but I think some teams are ranked high by some voters by inheritance. No insinuation intended toward you. Just me OP Love your blog!
Go Bulls!
Por (Scott Carter) on August 23, 2010 (Suggest removal)
Tim, no doubt you’re spot on with your assessment. The preseason poll is really more about last year than this season. Clip out the first AP poll and then the final one of regular season. I’m guessing 10 teams we see now won’t even be in poll.
Thanks for checking out blog.
Suggest removal